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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED that subject to the above, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 November 2024 be received and approved as a correct record.
RESOLVED that the Committee accepts this Policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh and undertake to monitor the annual progress of the Policy against the action points connected to this Policy.
RESOLVED that the Welsh Language Steering Committee have read and approved the report as correct evidence of compliance with the Welsh language standards and the progress made against the Council’s Welsh Language Strategy 2023-28 during the 2024-25 financial year
RESOLVED that the Welsh Language Steering Committee notes the Corporate Plan and the improvement actions.
RESOLVED that, subject to the above, the Committee’s Forward Work Programme be received and noted. The meeting concluded at 11:15am
Apologies were received by Councillor Carol Holliday.
None.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that subject to the above, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 November 2024 be received and approved as a correct record.
The minutes of the Welsh Language Steering Committee held on 21 November 2024 were submitted. Matters Arising – None. Matters of accuracy – members highlighted that the Welsh Language officer’s surname should be correctly noted, and that the title of the committee was incorrectly noted and should read Pwyllgor Llywio’r Cymraeg and not Cymru. RESOLVED that subject to the above, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 November 2024 be received and approved as a correct record.
The Corporate Director: Governance and Business sought nominations for the chair position for the municipal year 2025-26. Councillor Ellie Chard proposed that Councillor Emrys Wynne be appointed chair, which was seconded by Councillor Ann Davies. As there were no other proposals, Councillor Emrys Wynne was appointed chair, and all present agreed. RESOLVED that Councillor Emrys Wynne be nominated as chair for the municipal year.
The chair asked the committee whether they had any nominations for the position of vice-chair for the 2025-26 municipal year. Councillor Cheryl Williams proposed that Councillor Ellie Chard be appointed vice chair, seconded by Councillor Ann Davies. As there were no other proposals, Councillor Ellie Chard was appointed vice chair, and all present agreed. RESOLVED Councillor Ellie Chard be appointed vice chair for the municipal year.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Committee accepts this Policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh and undertake to monitor the annual progress of the Policy against the action points connected to this Policy.
The Welsh Language Officer (WLO) presented the item. This policy was a response to Standard 98 (Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011), which requires Denbighshire to establish a policy on the use of Welsh internally. It aims to demonstrate our commitment to increasing the use of Welsh in the workplace and support the national goal of reaching one million speakers by 2050. The aim was to build on the good work that has already been done to provide services in Welsh. We will put the right structures in place to create more opportunities for staff to use Welsh, whether in formal or informal situations. Our staff are key to this. The aim was to offer opportunities and support to anyone who wants to use or improve their Welsh at work. Through careful planning and positive action, we can help staff develop the skills and confidence they need. Ultimately, this will enable us to exceed the requirements of the standards and provide improved services in Welsh to the public. In a recent staff survey, the question “In a typical week, how often do you use Welsh?” received the following responses: We also asked for views on the following statement: “The Council supports and encourages the use of Welsh in the workplace.” The purpose of this policy, therefore, was to set out a clear plan to facilitate and increase the use of Welsh formally and informally within our organisation over the next 5 years—so that the percentage of staff who never use Welsh decreases, and the percentage of those using it daily increases. We have identified a work plan that will enable us to develop in an ambitious yet realistic manner, allowing all our staff to benefit from the development opportunities we are proud to offer. Language learning and changing usage habits take time, and we are committed to supporting this process. The work will be structured under the following headings to ensure all aspects of the organisation's business are included: • Leadership – Creating and maintaining the right conditions throughout the organisation • Building confidence – Creating conditions for everyone to feel confident using whatever Welsh they have • Administrative infrastructure – Ensuring that our procedures and processes foster an environment in which Welsh can thrive, including technology, employment practices, and translation Members of the committee were asked whether they had any comments/amendments for the draft policy. Members discussed the following further – • Members highlighted the data within the report and discussed whether it was possible to visit each different service/department to identify where the Welsh language was at its strongest or weakest, and work on those relevant services to tackle the issue. The WLO responded that the data was available on a service level; however, there wasn’t a large discrepancy between the services with the ability to use the Welsh language. However, members were assured that if there was an issue with a service, then appropriate steps would be taken to encourage the use of the Welsh Language. • The WLO also added that if any member would like to have some data, he would be happy to share it. • The committee were happy to see that there were active steps to make the language more visible, especially in meetings, and that there was an active approach to make learners feel more comfortable with using the language. • Members suggested that the possibility of adopting a buddy system in the Council could be explored to ensure that Welsh learners have a Welsh-speaking staff member with them, thereby encouraging the use of the language and increasing their confidence. The WLO responded that he could investigate the suggestion. • Some members of the committee highlighted that the policy was a good building block, however, felt more could be done, especially with internal work, the Corporate Director: Governance and Business stated that the amount of internal work was depending on capacity however, he would discuss the matter further, he also suggested that the policy be taken to Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to allow the policy to disseminated throughout the staff. It was also noted by the committee that increasing the Welsh language presence among the staff could positively influence the larger Denbighshire community. RESOLVED that the Committee accepts this Policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh and undertake to monitor the annual progress of the Policy against the action points connected to this Policy.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Welsh Language Steering Committee have read and approved the report as correct evidence of compliance with the Welsh language standards and the progress made against the Council’s Welsh Language Strategy 2023-28 during the 2024-25 financial year
The Welsh Language Officer (WLO) presented the Welsh Language Strategy Monitoring Report (previously circulated). The report provides an overview of the work completed during the year to comply with Welsh language standards and the progress made against the Council’s Welsh Language Strategy 2023-28. The WLO informed the committee that the report had been circulated before the meeting and would be presented today to address any questions regarding its content. Members discussed the following further – • The use of Welsh in care homes was raised, as well as the extent of its use in these settings. It was used frequently, however, with things such as ‘More than Words’, staff can be moved to address areas with more Welsh language needs. • Members inquired whether funding to support the Welsh language was a challenge. Officers and the lead member both responded that finance was a challenge facing all areas within the Council; however, they were reassured that no staff members were turned away from any Welsh courses or lessons due to cost implications. RESOLVED that the Welsh Language Steering Committee have read and approved the report as correct evidence of compliance with the Welsh language standards and the progress made against the Council’s Welsh Language Strategy 2023-28 during the 2024-25 financial year
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Welsh Language Steering Committee notes the Corporate Plan and the improvement actions.
The Welsh Language Officer (WLO presented the Corporate Plan Performance (Welsh Language and Culture) and Well-being Impact Assessment report (previously circulated). The WLO thanked the Strategic Planning and Performance Officer for writing the report and informed the committee that she would be unable to attend. This report is the first of its kind, providing the Welsh Language Steering Committee with an update on performance and progress in relation to the Welsh language and culture elements of the Council’s Corporate Plan. The information is based on the council’s Performance Self-Assessment for 2024 to 2025. The Self-Assessment provides our end-of-year analysis of achievements and challenges in relation to our key performance objectives (i.e., our Corporate Plan themes), along with our October 2024 to March 2025 Performance Update Report. The committees were currently reviewing the reports and would present them to the County Council in July for approval. Members discussed the following further – • Members raised concerns about the low percentage of responses to the plan, noting that any change would impact the overall result. • Members praised a broad spectrum with the wellbeing assessment; however, they highlighted that point 135 ‘A Denbighshire of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language’. The committee inquired about the ownership of the matter, as it was not specified within the report, and the Council needed to ensure that the actions highlighted in the report were carried out. The WLO would raise the matter with the relevant officer. • The committee suggested that the report be reviewed regularly to ensure that elements of the plan were being implemented. RESOLVED that the Welsh Language Steering Committee notes the Corporate Plan and the improvement actions.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that, subject to the above, the Committee’s Forward Work Programme be received and noted. The meeting concluded at 11:15am
The committee’s forward work programme was presented for consideration. Members queried whether they could receive an update on Welsh in education, if possible, for a future meeting. Members also suggested that a future Council Workshop be organised in the future to allow the WLO to inform the wider Council on the Welsh Language strategy. It was also raised whether the Committee could look at the Local Development Plan and the Welsh language policy within it, prior to the new plan being adopted. RESOLVED that, subject to the above, the Committee’s Forward Work Programme be received and noted. The meeting concluded at 11:15am
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